Brotherly Love
by SophF95
Summary: Based on A Life Less Ordinary. After a bad shift Cal argues with Ethan and storms home to think things over. However, on the way to make things right it all goes wrong. Will Cal survive or will he be too late to tell Ethan what he needs to know?
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone. So I absolutely loved last night's episode and it gave me the idea for a Cal/Ethan fanfic. It kind of follows the storyline from last night but it doesn't have the man/woman from the bar in but it does have the old couple and I'm putting my own little twist on it to make it more focused on the relationship between Cal and Ethan. Some bits will be the same as what we saw last night but what happens might be different. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they all belong to the BBC._

 **Chapter 1:**

So far this shift had been awful. The last thing Cal wanted was to be here, but he had to be. People needed treating and it was the only part of his life that he still had control over, or at least he felt that way. Sitting at the table in the staff room during his break he couldn't help but search the symptoms of Huntington's disease. He knew he shouldn't have but he just had to.

Behind him Cal heard the click of the staff room door opening and closing. He turns to see Charlie walking over to him and it was the last thing he needed to be lectured at by a nurse. He knew Charlie was only trying to help but all he wanted was to be alone.

"You're going home unwell. I've seen enough of that to back this up. You need time to think." Charlie explained to Cal who turned to look the old man, fighting back the tears in his eyes. "You are under a massive amount of stress. For your own sake and everyone else's just go home." Charlie said quietly but firmly to Cal. It was not what he wanted to hear.

"Oh right, so I can't even do my job now!" Cal shouted back. The one thing he thought he still had control over was being taken away from him. He was just about to say something else when the door opened again and Connie stormed in throwing a file of notes down on the table.

"You didn't think to consult me before discharging Mrs Thompson?" Connie asked. Cal sighed. His shift was just getting better and better and now he was in trouble with the boss.

"She was adamant. She knew the score and made her decision!" Cal argued back. He really didn't need this now. He could feel himself getting more and more worked up and was on the verge of losing it. Cal sat in on his stool trying to calm himself down whilst Connie rattled on about things but he wasn't listening. The blood was pumping round his body, his hands shaking in anger, annoyance, frustration. He stood up and looked up slowly at Connie, his hands resting on the table.

"So why don't you just ring her up and apologise for your inadequate junior doctor." Cal said through gritted teeth.

"It's not all about you." Connie said harshly before scooping up the notes and leaving the room. Cal slowly sat himself back down. He didn't know what was happening to him. He just felt so angry and annoyed. He could feel Charlie's eyes piercing into the back of his head.

"Go on Charlie, why don't you give me some of that really great advice of yours?" Cal said sarcastically as the white haired nurse walked over and leant in to him.

"You push off home or you get back to work. That's my advice." Charlie says harshly before turning and leaving the staff room. As Cal looked up he could see Ethan standing in the doorway and he had clearly heard what Charlie had said to him. He enters the staff room and quietly closes the door behind him and walks towards his brother.

"Cal, what is going on with you today? You've been rude, shouting at people, dropping things. You've had your head in the clouds the rest of the time." Ethan said gently as he slid onto the other stool next to his brother. As much as Cal wanted to tell Ethan he knew this wasn't the time. They were both in the middle of a shift and needed to concentrate on their work.

"Look, it doesn't matter ok? Just a bad day." Cal says as he gets up off the stool and heads towards the door.

"Is this about Matilda? You're not the only one who misses her you know." Ethan says calmly but he could instantly see that he had said the wrong thing. Cal stormed over to the kitchen and swept his hand along the work top sending cups and plates soaring to the ground, tears rolling down his face.

"I wish you would shut up about Matilda. Why can't we just forget about her, pretend she never existed? It's not all about her!" Cal shouted as Ethan stood there not knowing what to do. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth and he stood by and watched as Cal gathered his things and stormed off out of the staff room.


	2. Chapter 2

_I hope you enjoy this chapter. Gives you a bit of an insight into what i think might be going on in Cal's head. Please remember to leave me a review of what you think!_

 **Chapter 2:**

Racing down the corridor doors flew open as people turned and stared and Cal did not stop until he made it to his car in the carpark. His eyes were stinging from the tears in them and as he got into his car they all came flowing out. He brushed them away and turned the ignition and head of in his car on the familiar roads that make up his route home. As he drove along the road he could feel his mind going into overdrive with everything he was thinking about. He couldn't get it to stop thinking.

As he arrived home he parked his car in his parking bay and ran up the stairs to his flat. He didn't have the patience for the lift. He unlocked his door, threw his things onto the floor and headed straight for the fridge grabbing the first bottle of alcohol he could find before flinging himself down on the sofa. Only then did he start to let the tears flow properly.

In such a short space of time his who life had been turned around more than once. Not long ago he had been left with a baby which he had no idea what to do with then just as he started to love her and get used to the idea of being a father it all shattered down around him. He really did miss Matilda. Even though she was only a baby she was his rock, the reason to keep everything together and someone to love. Without her he felt lost like he doesn't have a purpose anymore. All he could do was remind himself that she wasn't his and that someone else will love her like he does and give her everything she could ever dream of.

The hours passed and Cal progressively got more and more drunk. His living room was scattered with empty cans and bottles and he had no desire to clean them away any time soon. As Cal got changed into something more comfortable he saw a small piece of paper fall from his jeans pocket. Clumsily he scooped it up off the floor and fell back onto the bed. He stared at the paper, part of him wanting to rip it up into millions of pieces but something was stopping him. It was the address of his real mother that Charlie had given him. He wished he had never gone to see her. That way he wouldn't be in this mess. He wouldn't be worrying about developing Huntington's disease and the worry of having to tell Ethan. As Cal sat there he could feel the tears rising again. A 50/50 chance of having the disease. Ultimately that means either him or Ethan. He didn't want to think about it. It was too hard. He ripped the paper up and threw it into the bin without thinking twice. He didn't want anything else to do with her. As far as Cal was concerned she had ruined his life and soon Ethan's.

Night starting setting in and Cal was getting drowsy from the alcohol and his stressful day. He headed to the bathroom to sort himself when he noticed something sticking out from underneath the sideboard in the living room. Getting down on his hands and knees he peered under and pulled out a tiny pink sock. Matilda's. Cal sat himself up and held it tight against his chest then hurled it across the room. It was no use to him now. It was no use to anyone. It wasn't going to help him. Nothing could help him. Once in the bathroom he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red and blotchy, his skin pale. What was he becoming? What was happening to him?


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey. Sorry about the delay work has been rather hectic. Boo. Anyways, thank you for the reviews so far. Keep them coming! Enjoy!_

 **Chapter 3:**

The following morning Cal slowly woke up to the sun streaking in through the gap in the curtains. Rubbing his eyes he slowly sat up, his head feeling heavy from the alcohol and the few hours he had managed by the time he finally got to bed. Entering the living room and seeing the mess of it all the memories of what had happened came flooding back, the harsh words from Charlie, the telling off from Connie and the confrontation with Ethan. Heading over to the worktop Cal expected to see a little note from his brother which he usually left if Cal was still asleep but there was nothing. Cal looked at his phone and saw there were no texts from him either making Cal feel guilty about what was said. Maybe he was a bit harsh on his brother.

After a quick tidy up around the flat and a quick wash and change Cal grabbed his car keys and headed out of the door. He knew Ethan would be on shift now and even though Cal wasn't meant to start till later on he wanted to go and make things right with everyone. He wasn't going to let it get to him anymore.

Opening the door to his car Cal got in and sat down closing the door behind him, turned the key in the ignition and was off. As he made his way down the Holby ring road towards the hospital a car came up behind him. It was obviously in a hurry and was eager to get past Cal getting as close to him as possible but there was nothing Cal could do but carry on. There was no where he could pull over to let it past.

Suddenly the car behind Cal overtook him just as the approached a roundabout. The car pulled out without looking and Cal could see another car coming right towards it. The two cars were going to crash. One swerved to try and avoid the other but it didn't work and Cal pressed as hard as he could on his breaks but it was no good. All three cars hit each other, one being flipped onto its roof. The last thing Cal remembered was his car spinning, his head bouncing off the window and it all going black.


	4. Chapter 4

_Finally got round to writing this chapter. This is pretty much the same as what happened in the episode but it all changes after this. I really enjoyed writing this chapter with all the action! Anyways, thanks for the reviews so far, keep them coming, I love reading them and I hope you all like reading this chapter too!_

 **Chapter 4:**

All around smoke from the car's engine blew around in the wind. As Cal slowly came round he carefully lifted his head, blood dribbling its way down the side of it and Cal swept it away with his hand then peered at the red sticky substance on his hand. Memories of what had happened came flooding back and Cal began to panic. He needed to get out of the car and check on the other people. Quickly checking himself over Cal opened the car door with a shove, grabbed his medical kit off the back seat and rushed over to the nearest car. Placing his hand through the broken window Cal found an unconscious man, he tried to wake him by gently nudging him but there was no response and when he felt for a pulse there was nothing.

"Damn" Cal muttered as he slid down the side of the car onto the floor. He didn't feel too good, his head was pounding and he was finding it difficult catching his breath. In the distance he could hear the faint sound of tapping at a window. He carefully got up and headed towards the other car and could see two people inside, one in the front and one in the back. After a few minutes he had finally managed to open the car door and it wasn't until that moment that he recognised the old couple from earlier that he had discharged much to Connie's dismay.

In the distance Cal could hear the emergency services approaching, the sound of the sirens breaking the silence that had appeared after the crash. He was checking the two women out when he noticed a fire breakout on the other car. His eyes switched between one car and the other but he breathed deeply to calm himself down when he noticed a track of fuel across the road. Cal had no idea whether it was petrol or disease but he did no he had to move as quickly as possible. As he started to shift the first lady he could hear voices rushing towards him and a hand grab his shoulder.

"Alright mate, you need to get back. We'll take it from here" the voice said and as Cal turned to face the paramedic he was face to face with Iain.

"Cal? What are you doing here? You alright?" he asked but Cal had no time to answer. The fire was getting bigger and they needed to get moving. The duo lifted the first lady out and moved her to safety and Dixie came and helped with the other lady. As Cal helped get her into the chair he could hear the fire getting closer and closer, the smoke building up. He ushered Dixie and Iain forward as soon as she was free as they frantically ran back to the safety of the ambulance. Cal started to follow, running away from the car that could blow any moment when he felt his feet get wiped away from underneath him, his ears ringing, he felt himself hit the hard tarmac and once again it all went black.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi everyone. So this chapter is from Ethan's point of view for a change. Sorry it's a bit short. Thank you for all the reviews so far, they are lovely and mean a lot. Let me know what you think and any suggestions for what should happen next are welcome. Hope you all enjoy tonight's episode, I can't wait to see it!_

 **Chapter 5:**

It was just an ordinary shift for Ethan. Nothing major had happened meaning there was just a steady flow of patients coming in and out of the ED. However he couldn't stop his mind from wandering every now and again to Cal. He hadn't had chance to speak to him since their argument yesterday as when he got in from work Cal was sound asleep in bed, the flat an absolute mess much to his annoyance but he was too tired to tidy. Then this morning he was up early ready for work and out the door before Cal had started to stir. Ethan was still struggling to understand why he had behaved the way he did but for now his questions would have to remain unanswered as he had work to do.

As Ethan discharged another patient he took the notes to be filed and went to get his next patient when the red emergency phone started to ring in the distance. He paused as Charlie rushed over to answer it and nodded his head occasionally as he listened carefully to what was being said.

"Right everyone," he shouted to get people's attention as they gathered round to hear the news. "There's been a RTC on the ring road involving three cars. There are 3 casualties, 2 serious. Someone needs to get Connie and start prepping RESUS. ETA 10 minutes." Charlie explained before the crowd started to dissolve to get ready for the incoming patients. Ethan was about to head to RESUS to see if they needed any help when Charlie called him over to one side.

"It's Cal," Charlie started and he could see the worry rising in Ethan's face. "He was involved in the accident." He paused as he watched Ethan stare around the ED not knowing what to say. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How can Cal have been in a crash when he was at home in bed when he left?

"Is he ok?" Ethan asked nervously. As much as he wanted to know part of him didn't in case it was serious. He took a deep breath and looked at Charlie and he knew it wasn't what he was wanting to hear.

"He's not looking great Ethan. I'm sorry. We'll know more once he gets here." Charlie said and gave Ethan a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder before heading off to help prepare RESUS leaving Ethan stunned at what he had just been told and wondering what he should do.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi everyone. How amazing was last night's episode? I loved it! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was interesting writing from another point of view in this one so I hope I did ok. Might have another update today depending on how long the next chapter takes to write. Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far, keep them coming along with any thoughts and suggestions!_

 **Chapter 6:**

It was like time had stopped and everything had frozen. The explosion, Cal being blasted onto the floor, Dixie watching on as there was nothing she could do to stop it or save Cal, he was too far behind. She felt paralyzed as she stood there watching the scene unfold. All she could think of was what happened with Jeff.

"Cal!" She screamed as she ran towards the junior doctor. Iain heard her shouting as he finished putting the patient in the back of the ambulance. He peered round to see what had happened and could see Dixie running towards a body on the floor.

"Cal, come on. Don't do this to me," Dixie said loudly as she skidded onto the ground next to the young man. She put her fingers onto his neck to feel for a pulse and waited. It was very faint. They had to get moving. As she looked round she could see Iain rushing over with a medical bag at the ready whilst the other ambulance crew took care of the two ladies.

"How is he?" Iain asked breathlessly as he rushed to Dixie's side. He could instantly see the paleness of Cal and that he was barely breathing.

"Right, let's roll him on the board and get going." Iain explained to Dixie as he pushed the board into place but Dixie wasn't paying attention. She was staring into the distance at the car on fire.

"Dixie!" Iain said firmly as he gave her arm a nudge to bring her back to what they were doing. "I need your help getting him onto the board."

Bringing her focus back to the present she helped Iain as they carefully rolled Cal onto his back and slid him on the board and put the collar on his neck. Iain placed an oxygen mask on Cal's face and slung the bags onto his back.

"We ready to go?" He asked Dixie as he got into position ready to lift the board and Dixie counted to three then lifted the board and limp body up carefully carrying it back to the ambulance. Iain fastened the board to the trolley in the ambulance and connected the relevant wires for monitoring then turned to Dixie who was still stood outside the door.

"Dixie, I need you to concentrate." Iain said but Dixie wasn't listening. Her mind was on Jeff. She couldn't bear the thought of Cal ending up the same way that Jeff did. Ethan would go through the same feelings and emotions that she did and she didn't want that to happen. It was the most horrific thing ever.

Iain climbed out of the back of the ambulance and stood in front of his colleague so that he blocked her view of the burning car. "I need you to help Cal. I'll drive us back to the ED but I can't care for him too." Iain said gently as Dixie started to try and compose herself and fought back the tears.

"It's going to be ok Dix, but we need to go now. Can you do this for me?" Iain asked and Dixie shook her head, smiled weakly and climbed into the back of the ambulance and shut the doors behind her. Taking a deep breath she took her seat next to the trolley and looked at Cal's pale face and prayed he would pull through.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

In order to brace everyone Charlie had let everyone know that Cal was being brought in. He knew it was not going to be easy having to treat one of their own and that it would start getting to people. It was hard enough having to tell Ethan that his brother was involved in the crash. He could see the colour draining from Ethan's face as he told him the news.

In the staff room Ethan had no idea what to do with himself. As much as he wanted to help he couldn't bring himself to do it. Connie would stop him from treating Cal and he couldn't quite bring himself to try and treat any other patients. He just couldn't stop thinking about Cal.

Ethan had no idea what he would do without his brother. He knew that he drove him insane sometimes and wishes he wasn't around but he never meant it. It was only them two left now that Mum had gone and they were only just starting to get on with each other again. He didn't want it to end.

Suddenly the door to the staff room opened and Connie came in shutting the door behind her. She walked over to the kitchen area and placed her cup into the sink and swirled it round in the bubbly water before rinsing it under the tap.

"I'm sure he'll be ok Dr Hardy." Connie said gently looking over at Ethan as she placed her cup onto the draining board.

"But what if he isn't?" Ethan said quietly. He knew he should be trying to remain optimistic but it was hard to do when it was you in this position.

"Just be there for him. It's all you can do. Won't be long until he's in our hands now and we'll do everything we can." Connie said. She felt quite sorry for Ethan. He's had to put up with Cal's wild behaviour and be the responsible one, the crash, Matilda. It must have been difficult for them without this to top it all off. She knew she would have to keep an eye on Ethan as she knew how sensitive he could be. She gave Ethan's shoulder a quick squeeze to show her support then disappeared off to RESUS ready for when Cal would arrive leaving Ethan to resume his pacing.

Ethan guessed this is how Cal must have felt when he found out that Ethan had been in a crash. He thought it was weird to think how their positions had switched. He just hoped Cal's outcome was as good as Ethan's was and that he would be ok.

 _Hi everyone. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and seeing a nice side of Connie (for once!). Please remember to leave a review of what you think and any suggestions!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi everyone. Glad to hear you are all enjoying this story. I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Hoping to get another chapter wrote and uploaded tonight but I'm out for a meal so not sure if I'll have time then at college until 9pm tomorrow but definitely by Wednesday at the latest. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming! Enjoy!_

 **Chapter 8:**

Sitting in the back of the ambulance Dixie was doing all she could to remain focused on Cal but it was proving rather difficult. All she could think about was Jeff. The smell of smoke, the loudness of the explosion brought it all flooding back. She missed him so much and still struggles to believe he is gone. She tried to push this to the back of her mind as she could feel her eyes filling with tears.

Once she was in the back of the ambulance Dixie had given Cal a check over and it wasn't looking good. He had a large cut to his head, suspected broken ribs and probable numerous other internal injuries from the blast. All she could do for now is keep him stable until they get to the ED then it will be over them to do their best. She watched his chest slowly rise and fall, the monitor beeping in time with his heartbeat. As long as this kept happening everything would be fine. No way would she let him die on her watch. It already happened once to Jeff and Dixie was determined it would not happen again. She couldn't let Ethan go through what she went through.

In the front of the ambulance the sirens were blaring as Iain zig-zagged his way through the traffic of Holby on the familiar route to Holby ED. They were only a few minutes away but he would not be satisfied until they get there and get Cal unloaded. He couldn't help but glance every now and again in the rear mirror to make sure that Dixie was ok. The only sound coming from the back of the ambulance was the beeping of the monitor and in this situation it was like music to Iain's ears.

Turning round a corner Iain was met with a queue of traffic which is not what he was wanting. Beeping his horn cars started moving out of his way as much as they could. He edged his way through but it was drastically slowing them down.

"Come on! Can't you see the flashing lights and hear the sirens! It's not like they're quiet!" Iain shouted to the car in front of him blocking his way not that they could hear. He aggressively beeped the horn again and the car finally moved and Iain sped off down the street towards the ED.


	9. Chapter 9

_Next chapter as promised. Sorry it's only short but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Remember to leave your thoughts and comments about this one too!_

 **Chapter 9:**

The sound of sirens arrived outside of the ED as Connie and Rita made their way outside to help unload Cal. They watched as Dixie and Iain lowered the trolley out of the back of the ambulance and started to wheel Cal in.

In the doorway of the staff room stood Ethan. He heard the sirens outside but he wasn't sure whether or not it was his brother being brought in. He felt his legs turn to jelly beneath him as he steadied himself against the door frame. Suddenly the doors burst open in the distance and in came Connie and Iain exchanging information, Dixie pushing a trolley lost in her own thoughts.

"Cal," Ethan said quietly under his breath as he rushed forward. He needed to see it for himself. He needed to check if he was ok. By the time he reached his brother he was being wheeled into RESUS and Ethan grabbed his hand squeezing it tightly.

"Cal, can you hear me? It's Ethan." He said nervously as he looked at his older brother. His eyes were closed, blood smeared all on his face and head. The sight made Ethan's eyes sting as he fought back the tears.

"Right, we need to move him over. On three please." Connie announced as they each took a part of the board and helped to gently lift him from the trolley onto the bed. Connie began listing things that needed to be done but Ethan was too lost in his thoughts to care, all he wanted was for his brother to be ok.

"Dr Hardy. I know this is hard but you need to step back and give us some room to help your brother." Connie said as she started to assess Cal. Ethan reluctantly let go of Cal's hand and backed away from the bed, his eyes never leaving Cal.

Suddenly monitors started beeping causing Ethan to jump out of his skin. He could hear Connie giving orders on what medication to be given and Rita started doing chest compressions. Ethan could feel his breath get caught in his throat, his head going dizzy at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. He couldn't let his brother die.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi everyone. Sorry about the delay in updating, I've just got a new laptop/tablet thing and I'm still getting to grips with it and transferring things over. How amazing was Saturday's Casualty? Really feeling for Ethan! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to leave me a review…they mean a lot!_

 **Chapter 10:**

Ethan felt like time had stopped as he stared at the scene in front of him. He couldn't believe it was happening. He had to do something. He couldn't just stand there helplessly as his brother died.

Charging forward Ethan stood by Rita's side and got his hands into the position needed to do chest compressions. He could feel Rita glancing at him out the corner of her eye wondering what he was going to do.

"Pulse check please" Connie ordered as Rita came to the end of the cycle of chest compressions but there was nothing. Just as Rita was about to resume the compressions Ethan jumped in her way blocking her from Cal's chest.

"Dr Hardy, what do you think you are doing? You know the rules." Connie said sternly as she stepped towards the young doctor.

"He's my brother." Ethan said in between compressions through gritted teeth. He was putting all the energy he had into saving his brother.

"I know but you need to step down." Connie said as she placed her hand on Ethan's shoulder but it was doing anything, Ethan continued with the chest compressions until it the cycle ended and another pulse check was carried out. Still nothing.

"Come on Cal. Don't you dare do this to me!" Ethan shouted to his brother as he pumped hard on his chest. He didn't know what he would do if this was the end. He needed his brother regardless of how much he moaned about him. He was all he had.

As Ethan stopped for another pulse check a faint beep filled the room. A pulse. Ethan felt his legs go weak beneath him and grabbed onto the railing on the bed to support himself. He had been so close to losing him. He knew Cal wasn't out of the woods yet but he had his brother back for now at least.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi everyone. Only a short chapter….sorry! I don't know if this medical terminology is correct or if this is what would happen as I'm not a real doctor so sorry if it's not. Thanks for all the reviews, I love reading them. Let me know what you think and what should happen next! Thanks in advance!_

 **Chapter 11:**

A few hours had passed since Cal had been brought into the ED. He'd been sent up for the relevant scans and Connie was on her way back to RESUS with the results. As she approached the set of double doors she could see a figure slumped against the railings on the bed. Ethan. She quietly opened the door and walked over to sleeping figure and gently placed her hand on his shoulder giving it a little shake.

"Ethan, wake up" she said softly and waited patiently as the blonde haired doctor slowly woke, stretching his arms out and yawning.

"Sorry Mrs Beauchamp, I must have nodded off." Ethan explained wearily as all the events of that day came flooding back to him. He looked at his brother asleep on the bed then his eyes found the set of notes in Connie's hand and the look of fear spread across his face.

"He's going to be fine." Connie said and Ethan sat for a moment until a sigh of relief passed over as his mind finally processed the words Connie had just said. "He's got a mild concussion and cuts and bruises but nothing serious."

Those words were like music to Ethan's ears. After everything that had happened he was convinced he was going to lose him and that their last words to each other were going to be from the argument the previous day.

"We're going to move him to cubicles whilst we wait for a bed on the ward. He will need to stay in overnight for observations as a precaution." Connie explained as Ethan nodded his head to show his understanding of what was being said to him.

"And I suggest you go and get some sleep. You're back at work tomorrow." She said before leaving Ethan alone with his brother. He let a huge grin spread across his face. He was going to be ok.


End file.
